ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Philippinesvisa delivery time frame

wow that was pushing it !

That's what I was thinking too! :blink:


How so?

We didn't order the tickets until after she had the Visa in hand. Just lucked out that with the time difference I was able to buy a ticket for the next morning (she got Visas just before 5pm on the 24th in PH).

Heck I figure the prices were going up every day as it was Thanksgiving/Christmas season and we really needed to get started with the little guy's hearing tests and such so why not get the first flight we could!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-29 20:54:00
PhilippinesHas anyone have any experiance on how and process of ACR-!
There are a lot of helpful people here but man you gots to do some of the work yourself...

Read the guides, there is a bar of links on the top of the site, click on Guides then look under "Guides if you are married", "US Citizen lives in the US & Spouse lives overseas:", use the link for Option 1.

I filed the I-130 Petition April 15th 2009, my wife landed in the US on November 25th 2009. Our processing time was typical.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-04 11:37:00
Philippinesso what do we do when Obama pushes through the imigration bill
Don't worry Charlie, they'll be charged fees for it. Remember USCIS is supposed to be self-funded by the fees they collect for all of this.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-29 15:56:00
PhilippinesDevistation
Kevin,

We're both relieved for you...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-06 09:31:00
PhilippinesWhat are the documents to be prepare for the fiance petition interview
Like Sweet Angel said, "Read the guides"...

Even better direct your Fiancé to this site and have him read the guides also.

Preparing for the next steps is something you can do together and if both parties understand the process it will be less stressful.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-14 13:42:00
Philippineshelp in interview question
Bring nothing more than necessary when entering the US Embassy. Electronics are not allowed, only US Citizens can check them with security. Your should only bring your wallet with ID and enough Pesos to cover the cost of Air21 and the Evidence for your interview.

Regarding the age, you can simply answer your current age of 33 or reply with "I'll be turning 34 in October" as they are both accurate.

Don't get too nervous about the interview, it will only last a few minutes and while the Filipino pre-screener may be harsh the Consular Officers generally are very kind.

Be sure to get your Certificate of Marriage from the NSO (by requesting a CENOMAR), the CO told me wife they just needed to verify it but she had it on hand and was issued the pink slip!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-14 08:37:00
Philippinesis it bad at interview if u dont have house?
Even though I do have a house of my own, it never came up in my wife's interview.

As you are above the income requirements ho would the CO even know that you live with your parents?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-18 10:17:00
PhilippinesUS Embassy to increase visa fees
Makes the CR/IR-1 route look a little better, only $50 more for the interview and you pay $70 for Affidavit of Support before the interview but you don't have to deal with the $940 ($1,010 minus $70 for AOS) additional fees for Adjusting Status after entry.

Only real difference in processing time lately seems to be 1 month @ NVC Stage for Document & Fee Collection but then we get our interviews set by NVC (and you can even get it moved up a bit if you're quick and persistent.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-26 16:38:00
Philippinesvalid id for interview?

Thanks!

Does anyone know what to do for ID for a child. She is 6


My wife didn't need to present ID for her son (he was 2 1/2 at the time).
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-28 13:16:00
Philippinesvalid id for interview?

If you are the petitioner show the guard your U.S. passport. The beneficiary needs to show the guard at the entrance the letter sent by the embassy. Good Luck!


The Appointment Letter is not ID. The Embassy requires photo ID for anyone to enter, thus the need for her NBI clearance or ID Card.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-25 10:47:00
Philippinesvalid id for interview?

since a postal ID is not digitized they dont consider it a valid ID


Yeah, it's something handmade locally and easy to forge.

The NBI Card quick & easy to get if you've recently got an NBI Clearance. My wife said it only took a few minutes and was like a couple hundred Php.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-22 17:51:00
Philippinesvalid id for interview?
You will not be granted entry into the US Embassy without valid ID. Use something issued by the Philippine Government not a postal ID.

NBI Card, SSS ID etc would work.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-22 14:35:00
PhilippinesHello Philippines Board.. I need help with sister inlaw

I haven't kept up with it. but I remember someone trying to tell me that the petitioner has to make 2 trips to the Phils... was this just a rumor?

I only made one trip, landed on Jan 16th & married Anna on Jan 21st (documents official on Jan 30th).

Have him add her to his bank accounts and have lots of phone/IM logs...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-30 22:28:00
PhilippinesHello Philippines Board.. I need help with sister inlaw
The only real difference between K & CR Visas lately seems to be at NVC. K Visas just pass right through whereas CR Visas do the Affidavit of Support and DS-230 (Immigrant Visa Application) plus supporting documents and fees are submitted at NVC so if you get things right and are ready NVC will cost about a month.

The plus side is that CR Visa holders get their greencard ordered shortly after POE without the need to Adjust Status so you don't have that $1,010 expense.

I sent in the I-130 April 21, 2009, my wife & stepson landed in the US on Nov 25, 2009!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-30 17:00:00
PhilippinesDual Citizenship

This makes more sense to me G&A, but if it's not necessary then why are there provisions for it and why did the Philippines pass the Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003? The way you explain it makes more sense to me as well but we know using government and sense in the same sentence is an oxymoron ;) We plan to own a home and retire/semi-retire there one day so it's very important that we're documented properly :thumbs:


While I agree that it doesn't make much sense we still plan for Anna (and Gabby) to do the paperwork as we don't know for sure where we'll be in 20 years and I'd hate for us to have to deal with some limitation because a paper-pusher discovered that she is a US Citizen who never filed to retain her Ph Citizenship.

BTW, apparently Germany has a strict process which involves requesting retention prior to naturalization so this isn't unique to the Philippines.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-24 10:30:00
PhilippinesHelp fast with Passport
As unnerving as these bumps can be now, next year you'll cherish telling (and re-telling) the harrowing story of how your happy household in the US came to be!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-04 11:40:00
PhilippinesHelp fast with Passport
I've got to agree with FilipinaWife2010,

My wife got her & Gabby's passports (both first time applicants) before I even filed the I-130 Petition.

At every step of this process we were always at least 2 steps ahead of the requirements. This was not so much to save time as it was to avoid delays.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-03 11:25:00
PhilippinesHelp fast with Passport

My thinking is that the Philippines doesn't now want people leaving the country.... :wacko:


I seriously doubt that as remittances from overseas would be reduced by this thinking.

I would be more likely to believe that they are trying to crack down on forged/modified documents so they want to believe that the applicant is actually going to use the passport them-self and not sell it to a "fixor"
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-01 11:19:00
PhilippinesHealth Insurance
Health Insurance doesn't care about your Immigration Status. I added Anna & Gabby while they were still in the Philippines as my Open Enrollment is October and she had November interview date.

What Insurance cares about is having a "Qualifying Event". Marriage, Open Enrollment or Loss of other coverage are all qualifying events but you usually only have 30 days from the event to use it as the qualifier.

Have him add you now.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-04 11:14:00
PhilippinesShipping Carrier
DHL is the best.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-04 18:30:00
PhilippinesWould my Dad or my sister be a better co-sponser?

YEP! I'M BACK AND AINT GOING ANYWHERE! I MOVED HER INTERVIEW TO JUNE 3RD, BEFORE THE NEW FEE OF $350 ON THE K-1 VISA TOOK PLACE! I WILL UPDATE MY TIMELINE FOR YA!


Please turn off the CAPS-LOCK, it is considered shouting & rude.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-04 08:50:00
PhilippinesWould my Dad or my sister be a better co-sponser?

HEY! THE I-864 WORKED AND WE PASSED THE INTERVIEW!!! SO, SEE I'M RIGHT YOUR WRONG!!!


Clinton,

Seriously that attitude isn't going to get you any friends here.

VJ members are not wrong, the correct form to use for K-1 Affidavit of Support is the I-134 unless the Embassy requires the I-864. Manila doesn't require it, if they accepted it then good for you but you took a chance in bringing the wrong form which could have delayed the Visa issuance. It really is that simple.

FWIW, if you can find a way to drop the attitude you will find a lot of help & support on VJ. If you can't then don't expect to find much of either here.

Congrats to your fiancée on passing the interview, I hope the rest works out as well for her.

Edited by Bob 4 Anna, 03 June 2010 - 03:42 PM.

Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-03 15:41:00
PhilippinesWould my Dad or my sister be a better co-sponser?
Clinton,

You do realize that your instance that you know everything and the very knowledgeable membership of VJ know absolutely nothing about the Visa Process is alienating the very people you can here to ask advice, right?

Our answers are based on personal experience and our motivation to help is because we want everyone who comes here to be successful in their own Visa Journey.

Sometimes the answer isn't what you want to hear but that doesn't invalidate the answer.

You might want to drop the caps-lock and relax a bit or you'll find your future threads void of responses.

I know when I was going through the process (which we completed successfully last November when my wife landed in the US) I made a few mistakes and was pointed in the right direction by my fellow VJers. I owe this forum a lot and that is why I'm still here 6 months after my wife's arrival, my little way to pay VJ back for the advice, support & friendship I found here.

BTW, you have too many Ns in Banana...

Edited by Bob 4 Anna, 21 May 2010 - 08:54 PM.

Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-21 20:53:00
PhilippinesWould my Dad or my sister be a better co-sponser?

Well its makes sense with the I-134 having no legal value and the Filipina Fiancee Visa Service has been doing business with the Embassy in Manila for years so they should know what they're talking about!!! So I wouldn't lend much value to your opinion either!!!! All you get on here is a variety of diferent answers which make your freaking head spin!!! So, yo answer your queastion yes I have read on here that the I-864 is used in so K-1 visa cases and not every case is the same and why would they accept a co-sponser using a I-134 and say it has no legal value what so ever????


Just so you know, there is no such thing as a Visa Service doing business with the US Embassy in Manila. They are a business who needs to convince you to spend your money with them, towards that end they will say a lot to get your money.

Visa Journey is a online forum feed with daily updates from Visa Petitioners & Beneficiaries who are actually going through the process from start to finish. When the process changes VJ actually has more relevant information that the Embassy website may as our cache of knowledge is updated in real-time.

If you "Fiancée Visa Service" didn't warn you about the Red Flags in your case then they aren't worth the envelope that your payment was delivered in.

Why would they accept the I-134 for a Sponsor when it isn't legally binding? You're right it doesn't make any sense and yet they do it daily. I have seen the other Embassies actually use the I-864 for K Visas [can't remember which one(s) is is at the moment though].

Where is the thread/post on VJ that says Manila Embassy want the I-864 for K-1 Visas.

If you hold such a low opinion of VJ then why are you even bothering to ask us?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-17 17:46:00
PhilippinesWould my Dad or my sister be a better co-sponser?

This is what the visa service is telling me, so I'm going with what they say and will let you know how it turns out!

The Manila Embassy is VERY STRICT about accepting co-sponsors. The I-134 is not legally binding and they will not accept it from a co-sponsor. She must use the legally binding I-864 to have any chance of success.


If you didn't get that info from the Embassy in Manila or a VJ member who was successful with a Co-sponsor on a K-1 then I wouldn't lend much value to that opinion. Have you bothered to read anything or do you just listen to the "Visa Service"?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-17 16:20:00
PhilippinesWould my Dad or my sister be a better co-sponser?
Regarding if the USEM will accept Co-sponsors for K-1 Visa, there does seem to be a trend lately.

If the USC Petitioner is a young college student or recent college graduate then they are more lenient possibly because they recognize that college students don't have much income while in school but are generally in a good position to earn sufficiently going forward.

On the other hand I have not seen any mention of a CR-1 Visa being refused due to the presence of a Co-sponsor. I wonder if this is because the CR-1 Visa uses the I-684 forms which is legally binding whereas K-1 Visas only get to the legally binding Sponsorship forms at Adjustment of Status and it is conceivable that the Co-sponsor might change their mind between K-1 approval & AOS filing which would leave the Filipino stuck in limbo.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-17 10:37:00
Philippinesif you used NOA2 for medical
My wife, Anna, used a copy of our NOA2 plus the MNL Case Number for her and Gabby. The guard accepted it a sufficient proof of pending interview.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-07 10:01:00
PhilippinesQuestion about the DS 230
The NSO Marriage Certificate, is that the NSO Copy of the Marriage Contract or the CERMAR (what married persons get when applying for a CENOMAR)?


We had included the NSO Marriage Contract for the I-130 Petition and to NVC with the DS-230. Anna got a CERMAR from NSO shortly before her interview and it was a good thing. At the end of her interview the IO said he just needed verify our marriage with NSO so she presented the CERMAR and he responded with the PINK slip!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-08 10:02:00
Philippinesmga sis tulong naman oh..short courtship lng kami
I met Anna online in October of 2008, flew to the Philippines in Jan of 2009 (that's only 3 months) and married her during my first visit ever!

Here it is May of 2010 and she's been in the US with me for 6 months!

There was never even a question about the length of our relationship...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-19 07:50:00
Philippinesthe Filipino channel

All I can say is that TFC Channel was such an important connection to back home when she got here, and went FAR in alleviating her homesickness (and still does!). Well worth the $$ to get it.

:star:


Yep, same here... Every day when I get home both TV with cable boxes are on channel 670!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-01 09:12:00
PhilippinesBring my son thru k-2visa
And get started on his Passport, that can take a couple of months but you need it before he has his medical & embassy appointment.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-10 12:02:00
PhilippinesHow to get St. Luke's medical record to U.S. doctor
Not to mention the fact that St Luke's contract is with the US Government and the medical records they create belong to DOS as part of her Immigration case file.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-11 08:15:00
PhilippinesFollowing-to-Join or CRBA?

U mention that ur nephew Mom's was approved for her IR1 Visa.My question is: they did included ur nephew in the petition?If they did,then ur nephew will get IR2 visa and he will be leaving with his mom at the same time.


This is 100% incorrect. There is NO DERIVATIVE STATUS for minor children based on the parent's CR-1/IR-1.

The child needs their own approved I-130 followed by an approved IV Application (including medical & interview) in order to get CR/IR-2.

They will need to follow the same process for the child as they did for the mother.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-12 19:09:00
PhilippinesFollowing-to-Join or CRBA?
Just to clarify, there is no "Follow to Join" or derivative status for the child based on the Mom's CR/IR-1.

The child will need to have an I-130 Petition & their own IR/CR-2 Visa issued.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-06 11:17:00
PhilippinesChange child's surname to mom's maidenname

you'll also need some document from the father that he is relinquishing his rights to the child,an that he is consenting to you bringing him here to the US, since his name appears on the birth certificate

WRONG!

See the link in my signature. Child born out of wedlock then the mom has sole custody & rights for the child...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-27 15:45:00
PhilippinesIR-2 Processing Times at USEM?

Thanks for your response, Bob! Really appreciate it.

My wife and I applied for AOS months before our 2-year anniversary. So, I know she'll be receiving a conditional 2-year green card.
However, if I petition my stepdaughter AFTER my 2-year marriage anniversary, would my stepdaughter be classified as IR-2 and be given a 10-year green card?

Sorry, I'm just trying to understand the details completely.


Yes, if you've been married to her mother for 2 years then she should be given IR-2 Visa and 10 year greencard. Once you get to the NVC Stage and get the coversheet for the DS-230 Packet make sure it says "IR-2" on it. If not then call the NVC to get it corrected in their system.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-24 15:58:00
PhilippinesIR-2 Processing Times at USEM?
I did my little guy's CR-2 at the same time as my wife's CR-1...

Initial filing was in April of 2009, they both landed in Chicago on November 25 of 2009!

FWIW, your step-daughter would be issued a CR-2 Visa, which will result in her receiving a 2 yr conditional greencard. She will have to go through ROC just like her Mom.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-24 08:38:00
PhilippinesThe next 29 hours.....
Of course once you're together the months of separation quickly fade to become distant memories.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-03 15:30:00
PhilippinesThe next 29 hours.....
Yeah, but what you're feeling now pales in comparison to how you'll feel waiting outside the arrivals area at the airport knowing that her plane landed an hour ago!


Congrats & enjoy!!!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-03 09:55:00
PhilippinesCENMAR
My wife was asked for a CENMAR at the Embassy.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-22 18:16:00